Atheists settle with Freepers, no more taxpayer-funded prayer rallies

[Synnical]

Received via e-mail

AMERICAN ATHEISTS
January 24, 2007
http://www.atheists.org

ATHEIST GROUP, KAGIN WIN AGREEMENT FROM CITY TO AVOID
CHURCH-STATE ENTANGLEMENT

In a negotiated settlement, the City of Jacksonville, Florida agreed that in the future it will stay clear of taxpayer-funded activities that violate the First Amendment by fostering "excessive entanglement with religion."

The case, AMERICAN ATHEISTS, BUTLER v. CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA stemmed by a city-funded event known as "A Day of Faith, Arming Our Prayer Warriors" held on August 12, 2006. The religion-based event was promoted as a "rally against violence," and used municipal resources -- including free bus transportation -- to a tent-revival festival that included religious preaching and chanting by local ministers. American Atheists filed suit.

Read the story about this case at: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/012407/me...
There is addition background at http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/fla1.htm

Edwin Kagin, National Legal Director for American Atheists said that the settlement was a victory for all people concerned about the erosion of church-state separation protections.

(AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)

Lacking in background info AP story:

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200...

Jacksonville agrees to settle atheists' lawsuit over faith rally

The Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
The city will pay an atheist group $5,000 in attorney fees and avoid holding religious events in the future in the settlement of a lawsuit over a day of faith rally.

The Aug. 12 rally was in response to a spiraling murder rate and the July 26 shooting death of 8-year-old Dreshawna Davis. Her slaying sparked community outrage and more aggressive measures to reduce the homicide rate.

The settlement reached Friday requires the city to write New Jersey-based American Atheists Inc. a letter saying it did not intend to violate the First Amendment and will warn department heads against funding programs that "foster excessive entanglements with religion."

Despite the settlement, Mayor John Peyton still defends the rally.

"I have no regrets - it was time well spent and money well spent," Peyton told The Florida Times-Union on Tuesday.

However, the city will do a better job of consulting municipal attorneys "to make sure we don't violate the separation of church and state," Peyton said.

Cindy Laquidara, chief deputy general counsel, said the settlement is not an admission the city violated the Constitution by financing the event. It simply ends a potentially costly federal lawsuit.

But Edward Kagin, American Atheists' lead attorney, called the settlement a victory for the organization and for all people concerned about the erosion of church-state separation.

About 6,000 people attended the rally that included Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders.

[valerief]

1. Finally! Now we can spend tax money on atheist gossip meetings instead.

Only kidding, kiddies. I LURRRRRRRRRV separation of church and state. In fact, I LURRRRRRRRRRV state. Church, I can do without. But it's supposed to be a free country, so to each his own.

[Kerrytravelers]

2. I can't believe this is even happening.

What part of no tax funded religion is confusing?

I certainly don't want the state running my church. Why would I want a church running the state?

[jgraz]

3. Have you BEEN to Florida??

Most of those folks can't read traffic signs, let alone the Constitution.

[Synnical]

5. Hey now, that's North Fla/South GA

Don't piss off us here in So Fla, which has the largest Democratic base in Fla, and we are the most populated portion of the state.

Stop picking on FLA!

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[jgraz]

7. Point made -- though North FL goes much further south than most Floridians admit :)

[Synnical]

11. Believe me, I know

Lived in Central Fla for 10 years. Ran, ran, ran away.

Love South Florida, even with the bugs, hurricanes, and heat.

It's January and the temp is in the 80's.

Weird though, that we haven't had ANY cold weather yet. Oh, we had lows in the 50's last month.

Hmm, Global Warming, ya think?

[Kerrytravelers]

8. Aw. Poor Floridians!

No, I haven't been there. I'm out in California, and believe me, we have our fruit-loops, too! :rofl:

[jgraz]

12. Lemme see if I can explain....Think of Berkeley, CA

Now imagine the EXACT OPPOSITE.

[Kerrytravelers]

13. LOL!

I grew up close to Berkeley.

We have the same times in certain pockets of California as well. East county of San Diego. Fresno. Along the Nevada border. It can get bad. But what can you do? Nothing is complete paradise!

[bananas]

4. Why do you say "freepers"?

"Freepers" refers specifically to members of freerepublic.com,
if they aren't you should be more accurate,
especially when discussing a lawsuit.

[Synnical]

6. Prayer Warriors

Look over there, you know, at that place.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[jgraz]

9. Prayeriors

[Kerrytravelers]

10. I consider it a generic term that lumps all * lovers together.

I also call those using their faith as a weapon fundies, even though some consider themselves evangelicals. If they lie in bed with a fundie, I lump them all together. So, for example, Jimmy Carter isn't a fundie because he, as an evangelical, doesn't lie in the bed of the fundies. I realize accuracy is important, but we had the article there to differentiate. I didn't read it and think "Ah! These are definitely posters on Free Republic." I thought "Ah, the free republic types."

[Synnical]

14. Edit to correct JAX link - City must pay atheists group for violating Constitution

City must pay atheists group for violating Constitution

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/012407/met_7528080.shtml

[Synnical]

15. .

[Synnical]

16. LTTE Response from a Freeper (That is, one who doesn't "get it")

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/012507/met_7547114.shtml

RANTS & RAVES: Mayor could have said much more to atheists' group

Here's the letter Mayor Peyton should have written to the American Atheists:

Dear godless liberals,

We're deeply sorry if the city and people of Jacksonville offended you with our faith in God, Allah, Krishna, Buddha or a higher power to be named later. It was thoughtless for the city to support an interfaith gathering devoted to bringing our community closer together and ending the senseless violence bloodying our streets. We realize now that some people - mostly insecure, self-centered, twisted and hateful people like yourselves - feel threatened by prayer, and we pray, well, we hope, you'll forgive us ...

We understand you are concerned about taxpayer money being spent on non-secular events. But we're just wondering where that $5,000 settlement you won comes from. Surely you wouldn't take it out of the pockets of the same taxpayers?

This nameless individual doesn't understand the Constitution.

To reiterate:

Cindy Laquidara, chief deputy general counsel, said the settlement is not an admission the city violated the Constitution by financing the event. It simply ends a potentially costly federal lawsuit.

It would be costly because it's Illegal and they'd lose! Big duh.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[Kolesar]

17. "Prayer Warriors", "rally against violence" - I see a lot of republican messaging there

My take on the George Lakoff linguist theory is that gops phrase things in terms of authoritarianism and militarism. A liberal approach to (presumably) the same community problems would be: "work together", etc.

That's my take.

I found this Mad Magazine sticker from the 1970s that proclaimed:"STOMP OUT VIOLENCE".

Peace and brotherhood, y'all